The PET bottle is ranked second in packaging use. Though it has strong recyclable features, PET operates at a time of keen concern about plastic pollution. There are mandated legislative targets, NGO and industry measures and commitments that align with a notable brand shift to rPET, but a gap in supply to solve. 2025 and 2030 will be landmark years for PET that require progress now. Consumers’ wellness search looks set to assure sales of water and functional beverages in PET bottles.
Pet bottle records global leading growth
The PET bottle is strongly entrenched in the global packaging marketplace, with dynamic annual gains. Soft drinks are its prime revenue generator, owing to PET’s versatility in size, shape, and replaceability.
Pet operates in an era of sustainability, calling for a stop to pollution
Despite being recyclable and more widely recycled than other plastics, PET is highly criticized for its prevalence, as waste. Design for circularity will become standard to ensure recovery and reuse ensues. This can help PET shake off its single-use label among consumers for a more sustainable one – a bottle with many lives.
2025, 2029 and 2030 milestones require robust progress
Milestone years are not far away for PET and the wider plastics industry. Global promises include 25% recycled content by 2025 in Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy. The EU is a region to watch, given corporate pledges and regulation via the Single-Use Plastic Directive’s targets on recovery and rPET content. A revolution is required to meet the targets being set.
Gap in rPET capacity creates the potential for recovery technology
There is a gap in rPET to meet demand. The current global recovery is far from optimal. In Europe, PET bottle recycling is around 60%. It is far lower in the US, and faces competition from outside the bottle industry. The corporate investment shows evidence that solutions are being sought; via return, reuse, recycling, and alternatives.
Water and wellness are core to growth; recycling and rPET reuse hold the circular key
Bottled water is set to account for half of all soft drinks consumed in 2020, where PET holds a flagship position. However, in this time of “plastic-free”, some gains for canned and carton waters are apparent. The need for sustainable packaging is epitomized by brands’ move from virgin PET. This will be a key driver, including of 100% rPET bottles. Cross-value chain collaboration on PET recovery for reuse is essential to prevent waste, and importance must be communicated to consumers, for a sustainable PET future.